When Islamic militants disappeared into the bush with 276 Nigerian schoolgirls, we rose as one in outrage, swore this would not stand and immediately took a million selfies. We raised awareness. We empathized. We trended. We re-tweeted the hell out of that hashtag. Now, six months later, the schoolgirls we improbably expected to rescue through social media are sold into slavery or married off to the men who stole them. And, last week, Boko Haram kidnapped 30 more, some as young as 11.

The #BringBackOurGirls campaign is the latest disgrace from slacktivists, those who support good causes by doing very little, and achieving even less. A slacktivist is someone who believes it is more important to be seen to help than to actually help. He will wear a T-shirt to raise awareness. She will wear a wristband to demonstrate support, sign a petition to add her voice, share a video to spread the message, even pour a bucket of ice over her head. The one thing slacktivists don’t do is help by, for example, giving money or time to those who are truly making the world a better place: the cancer researcher, the aid worker, the hospice manager.

Twenty years ago, a lazy college student would arrive at campus and happily discover it was “Blue Jean Day” to promote gay rights. Never mind that our noble slacker only ever wore blue jeans; that day, he was magically transformed into someone who gets it, a man who empathizes, a student who cares. It was a heady experience and, a few months later, the budding slacktivist would see a pile of buttons supporting the Dalai Lama; he would remember the warm altruistic glow of Blue Jean Day, and then take two.

Now, the ubiquity of social media has caused slacktivism to metastasize. Even the most indolent can support six causes before getting out of bed, just with the flick of a thumb. Because of Twitter and YouTube, the habit of doing nothing, and doing it often, has become a defining element of our culture.

But social media is merely the enabler. The real root of the slacktivist problem is biological. Our brain has evolved to reward us for perceived altruism. When we think we have helped others, the body releases dopamine and endorphins as a reward to encourage more good behaviour. This chemical motivation pushed us out of the cave to hunt down one more woolly mammoth for our hungry tribe. Unfortunately, modern times confuse the brain and it mistakes actually feeding the starving with re-tweeting #FeedTheStarving.

What is worse, the same biochemistry that rewards us for apparent altruism tricks us into thinking, “We’ve done our bit.” A recent study from the University of British Columbia demonstrated that people who “liked” a cause on Facebook were less likely to donate to that cause. Why? Because, in their minds, they’d already contributed. Their brains had already given them a shot of endorphins and it was time to “help” someone else.

#BringBackOurGirls not only didn’t do anything to actually help the hostages; the campaign made it less likely that we would donate to organizations that were doing real work. Slacktivism isn’t just useless; it makes things worse.

Defenders point to “Movember,” when men grow a moustache in support of men’s health, as an example of how slacktivism can successfully raise money. Organizers aren’t even asking for a little effort; they want you to do less and skip your morning shave. Millions are raised. But this is not the slacktivist’s triumph. Rather, it is a signal victory for those who so cleverly manipulate the shabby narcissists, the otherwise uncharitable men who only donate if it provides an excuse to parade a patchy moustache around their unimpressed secretaries.

Instead of being proud of their unshaven faces, their pink ribbons, their yellow wristbands, the hash-hole slacktivists should be ashamed. These things are not the talismans of empathetic supporters. They are proof that you care more about yourself than the cause. If you really wanted to fight cancer, you would not put a pin on your lapel. You would simply make a donation. You would do it now and you would do it without any expectation of recognition.

Don’t embarrass yourself by demonstrating you need a gimmick to give. If you want to help, just give money or time. Anything else is only about you.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-real-problem-with-slacktivism/feed/4This time of year, I feel like a guyhttp://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/this-time-of-year-i-feel-like-a-guy/
http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/this-time-of-year-i-feel-like-a-guy/#commentsFri, 01 Nov 2013 15:07:26 +0000Kevin Hurrenhttp://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/?p=60384#Movember is about more than just charity

I have never really been a guy. I’ve always been male but I’ve never been “one of the guys.”

I can’t help but yawn during prolonged football and soccer games. My eyes glaze over midway through feverish discussions about the newest Dodge Ram. When asked by a server what kind of beer I’d like, I usually wait for a friend to make his request before I add, “make that two.”

Though I find myself outside the realms of frat houses and basement lairs, there is one time of year when these distinctions seem to fade into the background. It doesn’t matter that I can’t manage a video game combo or bench press my weight. One month of the year, all that is secondary.

That month is Movember.

Since the annual November moustache-growing campaign started in 2003, it has rapidly grown in popularity. In 2012, $42,602,614 was raised by 246,000 participants in Canada alone. Men pledge their upper lip hair to raise awareness and funds, initially for prostate cancer research, though it has now expanded to incorporate testicular cancer and men’s mental health programs too.

Campuses have taken up the campaign with enthusiasm. Recognizing this, the organization has constructed specialized Movember packages and contests for schools to take a part in.

What does this have to do with me? I may not be able to throw a football but if there’s one thing my Italian blood is good for it’s growing facial hair.

Just a few sprouting hairs, however, doesn’t give me the keys to the Kingdom of Guydom. Rather, it’s the spirit of inclusiveness and camaraderie guys seem to adopt during November that makes the month exceptional. Guys form teams, plan events and encourage each other. Passing strangers give nods of solidarity. Even if you can’t grow much, your “mo bros” will still welcome you.

I only speak from my experience at Western University but I imagine this spirit is part of what makes Movember so successful. It’s men from very different social groups banding together for something more meaningful than beer pong or bench presses. It’s about awareness, charity and support.

So as November begins again this year, I expect nothing less than for campuses across the country to break out in moustaches while a greater sense of community is formed as well.

And at the end of the month, when I proudly look back at the accomplishments of my fellow guys, I may even celebrate with a beer, just as long as someone else orders first.

The NDP held a facial-hair contest at their watering hole Brixton’s to mark the end of Movember, the month-long campaign that uses moustaches to promote awareness of prostate cancer. NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and MP Olivia Chow were the judges. The first category was the Jack Layton moustache. With so many young people in the NDP, Chow quipped that many were “early Layton moustaches.” In the end, the winner was Nova Scotia MP Robert Chisholm for his older version of the Layton ’stache. Most intimidating moustache, named after Calgary Flames Lanny McDonald, was a draw between MPs Fin Donnelly and Jean Rousseau. NDP staffer François Soucy took home the honour of raising the most money for prostate cancer and was given a DVD set of Magnum, P.I., starring moustache icon Tom Selleck. The “Mo’ sister” award went to MP Alexandrine Latendresse. Mulcair decided to create a new category on the spot, “The best Colonel Sanders,” which went to MP Malcolm Allen’s white whiskers. Mulcair didn’t opt for a moustache for Movember. He has had his beard since he was 18. He only shaved it all off once when he and his wife, Catherine Mulcair, went in costume for a performance of Grease—no one recognized him without a beard and wearing a leather biker jacket. Another time he shaved off everything but a moustache and again people did not recognize him. His wife said he needs to just keep the beard.

Damn those McDonald’s smoothies

Joan Crockatt, the Conservative candidate who won the recent Calgary Centre by-election, was on the Hill last week for some orientation. She says that, as a former journalist, she is aware of some of the pitfalls of being a new politician, including the endless receptions where one can pack on the pounds. Toward the end of the campaign, she said, “I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t losing weight door-knocking.” Then she realized the problem. During the by-election, she developed an addiction to McDonald’s smoothies—pomegranate, in particular.

Diane Finley’s guilty pleasure

My Babysitter’s a Vampire won this year’s Shaw Rocket Prize of $50,000. The award recognizes the best in Canadian kids’ programming. On hand announcing the winner at the Fairmont Château Laurier was Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley. The minister said children’s programs are one of her guilty pleasures. “I’m kind of addicted to Artzooka,” said Finley of the program where, according to the show’s website, host Jeremie Saunders “shows you how to create masterpieces out of recycled materials and how to tackle original projects using tech gadgets.”

Garneau shoots for the stars

Canada’s first astronaut in space, Marc Garneau, is the latest to join the Liberal leadership race. His campaign has already been peppered with space references and his website declares: “Let’s take Canada to new heights.” Liberal insiders like the references and say Garneau should use what he’s got. The approach is in contrast to that of former Liberal MP and hockey legend Ken Dryden, who opted not to use hockey references in his 2006 Liberal leadership race because he wanted to be taken more seriously. Dryden won six Stanley Cups over his hockey career. In other Liberal leadership news, front-runner Justin Trudeau may have an unfair advantage in the opposition lobby. The brand of mineral water served there is Saint Justin, which is sourced from the Quebec’s lower Laurentian Mountains.

1. It was a marketing stunt and it worked. Pizza Hut Canada has given away a pizza perfume to 100 lucky Canadians. Thousands more are giving the scent their Facebook thumbs up while other are Tweeting about it. The Globe and Mailreports that the original cheesy version of the spritz didn’t smell good, so the final product is more like “fresh dough with a bit of spice.” I can’t tell if this is really big news or if it’s just close to lunchtime.

2. For the second year in a row, more money was raised from Canadians than from of people in all the countries that participated in Movember. The total was $36.8 million from 247,066 mustache-growing Canucks. That money goes to Prostate Cancer Canada and Canadian Male Health Network.

3. A man in Manhattan died after he was pushed onto a subway platform and hit by an oncoming train. Ki Suk Han, 58, desperately tried to scramble back to the platform and the New York Postpublished a photograph of his struggle. The attacker, who had been yelling loudly, fled.

4. Future doctors, listen up. Prince Edward Island is offering $110,000 in signing bonuses and money to cover tuition for three medical students who commit to practicing family medicine in the province for at least five years. Preference will be given to Island residents. More in The Guardian.

6. Ottawa Police will not lay charges related to the cycling death of Carleton University master’s student Krista Johnson who was killed by a car that hit her bike in October. Police are warning cyclists to be vigilant. “Do not drive while distracted, handheld devices can hamper your ability to drive a bicycle just as it would a motor vehicle,” they write. “Helmets are strongly recommended.”

7. Another student has reviewed Doug Saunders’ The Myth of the Muslim Tide. Charles Wagner of the University of Victoria’s Martlet has plenty of praise. “Saunders’ greatest asset is his ability to keep an emotional distance from this volatile subject matter. Just as I didn’t want his book to be an anti-Islam tirade, I didn’t want it to turn into apologetic Islamic propaganda either. While he debunks most of the anti-Islam claims, he does admit that there are some situations that call for worry.”

8. Bullying has been in the spotlight ever since the highly-publicized death of B.C. teenager Amanda Todd. Students at Brandon University in Manitoba have decided to try and take action by forming a new club, The Brandon University Anti-Bullying Society. More in The Quill.

9. Some students in Ontario are worried that the absence of extracurriculars in high schools affected by a provincial labour dispute will hurt their chances of university admissions or scholarships. The Ottawa Citizen has spoken to admissions officers who say that students can relax. Marks alone determine most entrance scholarships and admissions decisions.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/what-students-are-talking-about-today-december-4th-edition/feed/1NDP Movember Partyhttp://www.macleans.ca/general/ndp-movember-party/
http://www.macleans.ca/general/ndp-movember-party/#commentsThu, 29 Nov 2012 03:27:33 +0000Mitchel Raphaelhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=320996So, well ... all for a very good cause

1. Every year some student decides to hate on Movember, the mustache-growing prostate cancer fundraiser. This year it’s Hector Villeda-Martinez, a women’s studies major at Concordia University. “Movember is a celebration of hegemonic, patriarchal, heterosexist masculinities,” he writes. “When was the last time, for example that Movember made outreach to transwomen?”

2. Students are getting the message that law school is no longer a route to a guaranteed job. In October 2012, 16.4 per cent fewer students took the Law School Admission Test than in October 2011. That’s following a 16.9 percent drop last October. The overall numbers of test takers is at a 10-year low. For those planning to apply to law school, the lighter competition is probably welcome.

3. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will play most or all of their 2013 home games at the University of Guelph, reports the Spectator. Guelph’s stadium recently underwent a $4.5-million renovation.

4. Marco Rubio is the Florida Senator who some believe could modernize the Republican and give it a chance of winning in 2016. But a new interview in GQ shows he’s rather old-fashioned. When asked how old the earth is, he started off: “I’m not a scientist man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that’s a dispute amongst theologians…”

5. A 24-year-old whose spiked hair “looked like a set of devil horns” was arrested in Kingston, Ont. after yelling at kids watching the local Santa Claus Parade on Saturday that Santa isn’t real, reports the Toronto Star. The man faces charges of public intoxication and breach of probation.

7. The R&B singer R. Kelly plans to bring “Trapped in the Closet” to Broadway. His online video opera series was widely considered… weird. Luckily he’s not taking himself too seriously this time. “I don’t have a job so I sit in the studio all day and think of stuff to do and this is just something stupid I’ve done that’s been successful for me,” he told the Associated Press. Read more at 680 News.com.

8. A hydro pole in the middle of a provincial highway in Quebec’s Eastern Townships was the result of miscommunication between various transport and utility authorities. The photo went viral.

9. A labour dispute has caused classes to be cancelled today at five post-secondary institutions in British Columbia: Vancouver Island University, North Island College, College of New Caledonia, College of the Rockies and BCIT’s Aerospace Technology Centre in Richmond. Camosun College campuses in Victoria are open, but professors may cancel classes. BCIT was shut on Monday.

10. Justin Trudeau surprised a few when he said he wants the CNOOC-Nexen deal approved, even though many Canadians are fearful of Chinese investment in Alberta, and considering that he opposes the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Paul Wells explains why it’s really not all that surprising.

1. Queen’s University is facing a backlash after deciding to award former U.S. president Jimmy Carter an honourary degree. Why? Because Carter criticizes Israel. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs told National Post that at least 50 upset Queen’s alumni have contacted them.

2. Twinkies and Wonder Bread are on life-support. Hostess Brands Inc. says it will go out of business after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from thousands of striking bakery workers.

3. A third-year journalism student at Ryerson University has started the first Canadian chapter of the Student Hip-Hop Organization. The self-funded group celebrates hip-hop culture and discusses what’s hot on the hip-hop scene, reports The Eyeopener. U.S. branches have brought acts like Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi to campus.

4. That famous “shirtless photo” of FBI agent Frederick W. Humphries II, the man initiated the investigation that forced CIA director David Petraeus to resign, turns out to be rather tame. The Seattle Times notes that it was taken after a workout. It’s not exactly the sexting we pictured.

5. Great minds think alike. Ishmael Daro of The Sheaf at the University of Saskatchewan published an editorial this week declaring that if 18-year-olds are allowed to vote and fight in wars they should also be allowed to buy alcohol too. This week’s Maclean’s editorial tackles drinking ages too.

6. Carleton University says information about the grades it hands out should be kept secret because the data, if revealed, could discourage prospective students, reports the Ottawa Citizen.

7. Movember is not a harmless fundraiser. No sir. Mustaches can harbour deadly bacteria and are located between the mouth and nose providing a ladder for those bugs. CBC went in depth.

8. The town of Canmore, Alta. has begun trapping and killing its feral rabbits, reports The Canadian Press. The town says the rabbits, descendent from pets, attract cougars, coyotes and bears.

9. The game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 grossed $500 million in the first 24 hours, reports Activsion.

10. It’s crunch time for term papers. Here’s a productive way to procrastinate for five more minutes. Read the Top 5 mistakes to avoid when writing term papers from Dalhousie’s Writing Centre.

1. Four Kwantlen University students are fulfilling their business degree requirements and raising money for prostate cancer research by selling Movember-themed jewelery. Their mo necklaces, sold online, are so popular that they ran out at one point, reports the Vancouver Sun. Movember is an annual mustache-growing fundraiser.

2. Just in time for Remembrance Day on Sunday, librarians in McMaster University’s special collections discovered several poppies preserved in the travel diary of a soldier’s wife. Librarian Wade Wyckoff told Metro that he believes the petals originated from Flanders fields, that famous World War One graveyard where the poppies grow, between the crosses, row on row.

3. If you’re on Instagram, there’s a new reason to be concerned about your privacy. The social photo sharing site has done you the favour of putting all of your photos on the web. They’re at Instagram.com/your username. Users can turn off the profiles through their mobile devices.

4. Fox News wants you to know that Obama is a cry-baby. He wiped away tears as he thanked campaign staff in Chicago on Wednesday. Others might see this as a normal human reaction.

7. A Queen’s University senator says it’s wrong for the university to allow commercial advertising outside classrooms. (It’s already banned inside classrooms.) The ads in question are gigantic banners from Target, as well as ads by Apple and Bell. The university says it will work on a policy.

8. A student in Alabama has been charged with killing four cats on and near campus. Yikes.

10. Tonight is the premiere of Skyfall, which is the best James Bond yet according to Maclean’s film writer Brian D. Johnson. On his blog, he explains his reasoning, including the fact that “Craig is the first actor to really wrestle with the tormented psychology of the character [Ian] Fleming created.”

1. Movember, one of the most popular fundraisers on Canadian campuses, began today. Perhaps taking a cue from Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall, who challenged his fellow premier Robert Ghiz of P.E.I. to a grow-off, students at the University of Regina’s Carillon student newspaper are asking readers to bet on who can grow the best mo. $5 to vote. Proceeds fight cancer.

5. Halloween often brings out drunken people who set fires and otherwise get up to no good. That was the scene in Prince Edward Island last night. Much more frightening, however, is what happened at a University of Southern California party: four people were shot, reports AP.

6. The 2012 student protests against tuition hikes in Quebec cost the Université du Québec a Montréal at least $20-million. The university’s rector is now pleading with the province for help. Good luck with that. That’s the same PQ provincial government that gave in and froze tuition, making it difficult for universities to raise much money on their own. See the Montreal Gazette.

7. Remember Pierre Poutine, the shadowy figure behind the robocalls that sent voters to the wrong polling stations in the 2011 federal election? Some believed it was Michael Sona, a 23-year-old former staffer of a Guelph Conservative MP. Yesterday, he spoke out. “I’m not going to take the fall for something I didn’t do,” he told CBC News. Read the rundown in Maclean’s Politics on TV.

8. A 25-year-old former University of British Columbia student has been charged for allegedly buying discounted transit passes from students and selling them on Craigslist. Betty Sze Yu Wong, 25, faces two counts of fraud. It’s a profitable scheme. Students at Vancouver post-secondary schools pay just $30 per month for passes that would otherwise cost $151. See more from CTV News.

9. Striking Canadian Union of Public Employees support workers at Simon Fraser University set up picket lines today. “Some operations and scheduled classes may be impacted,” says SFU.

10. Following complaints from Chinese students about bad living conditions, Concordia University will establish orientation sessions on tenants’ rights in Mandarin, Arabic and Farsi.

Like what you read? Then you absolutely must follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

1.Snoop Dog (Snoop Lion?) is now endorsing that gooey microwavable student staple known as Hot Pockets. In a video advertisement that already has three million views, he’s reworked his 2004 hit “Drop It Like It’s Hot” into “Pockets Like It’s Hot.” He may be a sellout, but that bicycle with a microwave attached is a wicked idea.

2. Speaking of ridiculous advertisements, Anne Kingston tears apart Brad Pitt’s new commercial, in which he says: “It’s not a journey. Every journey ends, but we go on. The world turns, and we turn with it. Plans disappear, dreams take over. But wherever I go, there you are, my luck, my fate, my fortune. Chanel No. 5, inevitable.” Uhhh… What?

3. In an interview with the University of Regina’s Carillon, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said some notable things. His assertion that “the average student finishes university with over $40,000 in debt,” doesn’t match any estimate I’ve seen. (Even the debt warriors at the Canadian Federation of Students peg the average at $27,000.) He also says youth are mostly concerned about the environment. “Most young people are a little bit less concerned about the economics, except for the fact that they realize that consistent failure to invest in post-secondary education is playing tricks on them,” he added, suggesting the federal government “get back to the level of [PSE] funding that we saw before the 1990s, before the Liberals started downloading to the provinces.”

5. An elk near 100 Mile House, B.C. has been getting down with farmer Greg Messner’s cows. “Last year, he was just hanging around again for a couple of weeks and not really doing anything, just hanging around and looking at the cows. This year, he decided to go for it,” Messner told The Canadian Press. “If you were there watching, it would be an X-rated movie. Several times a day.”

9. It’s almost Halloween and one student says women shouldn’t be spooked by provocative costumes: “When a woman decides to show her love for cheerleading while showing off her gorgeous gams she gets nothing but smack talk from other women,” writes Marina Glassford. “Halloween is supposed to be about expressing yourself, and if that means pulling out the fishnets and garters, then so be it.”

10. The day after Halloween is the first day of Movember, the global prostate cancer fundraiser. Guys across Canada are already building teams and figuring out which style of stache to grow.

Each year, we offer Maclean’s On Campus readers a look back at the Top 10 most-read higher education news stories of the year. There were two big themes in 2011. First, the many scandals over universities’ reputations, from Alberta to Queen’s to St. FX. Second, uncertainty about the job market for grads.

1. Time for this year’s edition of X-ring Idol
Our blogging English professor, Todd Pettigrew, dared to compare the obsession of St. Francis Xavier students with their beloved X-ring to Gollum’s unhealthy quest for the precious. We knew St. FX students would defend their tradition vociferously—and they did, with more than 250 comments over three days. Most were from alumni and students who thought Pettigrew missed the point. They argued that the ring symbolizes their hard work and the family-like bond they instantly glean whenever a fellow X-grad catches a glimpse of their band. Then again, dozens of readers agreed with Pettigrew—some even suggested the flood of emotional reactions reinforced his point.

2. Apparently men with prostate cancer are privilegedMovember, the month-long fundraiser when men on campuses everywhere grew out their stashes for prostate cancer research, was one of the most positive stories of the year. Too bad a Concordia student newspaper columnist, Alex Manley, almost ruined it for people. He suggested it wasn’t “remotely worthwhile,” because the disease happens to affect mainly white men in North America, rather than more worthy causes like women, the poor and those in developing countries. Columnist Robyn Urback, always able to sniff out injustice, proved him wrong. Readers responded with their own stories of the pain prostate cancer causes and thanked Urback for setting the record straight.

3. Fake Queen’s University advertisement plays up stereotypesThe Queen’s Players, trying to drum up support, showed off their comedy skills with a video spoof of the late-night Everest College infomercials that riffed off the stereotypes about Queen’s. Some of it was tasteful, some wasn’t, but it was well-viewed (100,000 so far) That’s because there’s truth in many of the jokes. One stereotype, that Queen’s is full of rich kids, proved true when On Campus investigated the Ontario Student Assistance Program. Queen’s has half as many student loan recipients as other schools. But while fewer students there require provincial assistance than any other school, we noted that Queen’s spends more of their budget to help poorer students than nearly any other. In other words, they may be richer, but they’re also a caring community.

4. Senate page stunt was nothing but a temper tantrumBrigitte DePape, who foisted her “Stop Harper” sign in front of TV cameras in June, was cheered by some and despised by others. Either way, she was definitely not ignored, and even popped up during the G20 protests and the Occupy movement (both of which were widely discussed on our site). Urback’s column pointing out the lameness of DePape’s press release calling for a ”Canadian version of an Arab Spring” was only slightly more popular than the news story that revealed how DePape’s own parents were initially split on whether their daughter’s stunt was silly or heroic.

5. Queen’s quality “compromised” wrote president in leaked letterUniversity presidents are experts in public relations, so they rarely say anything politically incorrect. But we got a glimpse of what Queen’s University’s President Daniel Woolf really thinks about his school—and other schools—in a leaked letter meant only for the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Most telling was his comment on Queen’s changing reputation: “It would have been unthinkable 20 years ago that the quality reputation of undergraduate education at Queen’s would be challenged by Waterloo and McMaster …to say nothing of Guelph.”

6. The 10 most and least lucrative degreesThe U.S.-based Center on Education and the Workforce has finally given students the key piece of information they desperately want to know before picking a degree. It spelled-out what degrees lead to the biggest salaries—and the smallest—after graduation. It turns out nine out of 10 of the biggest degree payoffs in America are in engineering; the other is pharmacy. The 10 least lucrative degrees form a much more diverse list. Some students complained that the information wasn’t Canadian enough. But then the Ontario graduate survey provided us with a useful (though less detailed) ranking of how lucrative various degrees are in that province. Average salaries of 2008 graduates in 2010 ranged from $35,000 for Fine Arts graduates to $98,000 for Dentistry grads.

7. Two-thirds of new teachers can’t find workThe job market for graduates of teacher’s colleges was so bad this year that Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities capped enrollment at the province’s schools. That came before a survey from the Ontario College of Teachers found 67 per cent of 2009 grads weren’t working full-time as teachers. This story showed how rapidly job markets can change. The unemployment rate among new teachers exploded from three per cent in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2011 in Ontario. But it’s not just Ontario that has a sudden glut of teaching graduates: the University of British Columbia’s teacher’s college, recognizing the shortage of openings in that province, recently changed their program to include a three-week practicum in a “non-traditional” teaching environment.

8. When professors plagiarizeIt was international news when medical students typed Dean Philip Baker’s convocation speech into their smart-phones and realized that he had lifted some of his words from a New Yorker magazine article without credit. It was news again when, what could have been academic suicide for a student, turned into a mere demotion back to professor for the dean, who returned to work in October. Maclean’s national affairs writer Charlie Gillis revealed in the magazine how entrenched plagiarism has become in Canada. If graduate students are getting away with it, why wouldn’t we expect them to continue sloppy citation when they become professors and then deans?

9. UBC student blinded by husband in BangladeshThe world was disgusted when Rumana Monzur, a political science graduate student at the University of British Columbia, was blinded and had her nose bitten off in an attack by her husband while visiting home in Dhaka, Bangladesh. But the story didn’t end there. The UBC community raised more than $70,000 dollars to bring Monzur and her daughter to Vancouver, where she received a special residency permit, a place to live, and surgeries to attempt to correct her sight. Unfortunately, she remains blind. The country was intrigued again in December when news broke that Monzur’s husband, Hasan Sayeed Sumon, died mysteriously in a hospital prison cell.

10. Ontario college strike creates problems
Professor strikes were less common this year than in the past, although Brandon University students are behind nearly a semester after a 45-day strike there. This year it was Ontario college support staff who created the biggest hassles for students—and attracted the most discussion on Maclean’s On Campus. Students were frustrated by long lines to get into campuses, delayed student loan payments and exceedingly dirty buildings, all caused by workers who averaged nearly $60,000 per year. OPSEU President Warren “Smokey” Thomas argued that they were striking, not for higher wages, but instead to protect full-time jobs. Colleges want to hire more part-timers.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/general/movember-madness/feed/5Why Paul Dewar needs to stay out of Ottawahttp://www.macleans.ca/general/cop-beats-doc-and-depressed-over-gum/
http://www.macleans.ca/general/cop-beats-doc-and-depressed-over-gum/#commentsMon, 14 Nov 2011 13:30:01 +0000Mitchel Raphaelhttp://www2.macleans.ca/2011/11/17/cop-beats-doc-and-depressed-over-gum/Hockey team riding on MP’s schedule
More and more people are throwing their names into the NDP leadership race. Candidates who are also MPs, such as Peggy Nash and Paul…

More and more people are throwing their names into the NDP leadership race. Candidates who are also MPs, such as Peggy Nash and PaulDewar, have to give up their critic areas. Unlike when the Liberals had a big leadership race in 2006, NDP leadership candidates who are MPs will still be able to ask questions in question period if it is related to their riding. They will also keep the House seats they were assigned. The Liberals made their leadership candidates sit next to the Bloc to minimize the amount of face time they would get on TV. Dewar, whose riding is Ottawa Centre, has been travelling a lot more, and one of the Hill security guards has joked that when the MP is out of town, the Ottawa Senators hockey team wins its games.

Is that jacket sealskin?

MPs are sporting their poppies for Remembrance Day. NDP MP John Rafferty put his poppy right through what looked liked a suede suit jacket. He later confessed to Capital Diary that it was in fact microfibre. Rafferty joked, “But when seal protesters are out, I tell them it’s sealskin.” Tory Sen. Nancy Ruth sported a white poppy for peace, a symbol worn by former New Democrat leader Alexa McDonough in the past.

Where were you before WikiLeaks?

After Oliver’s Twist: The Life and Times of an Unapologetic Newshound, CTV television icon Craig Oliver says he won’t write another book. He started this one over 15 years ago, but says it ate up most of his free time in the last year. Former political journalist Don Newman, a retired broadcaster who was with the CBC for 33 years, first told Capital Diary he has no plans to write a book. Then he added, “Well, I’ll see how well Craig’s does financially.” Newman is the advisory board chairman of Canada 2020, which bills itself as a “non-partisan, progressive centre created to provide policy options and ideas for Canadian decision makers and leaders.” The organization recently hosted a conference at the Fairmont Château Laurier entitled, “The Canada-U.S. Partnership: Enhancing the Innovation Ecosystem.” Guests included Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson. Awards were given to youth innovators; one winner, Milan Vrekic, came up with TitanFile.com, a way to manage large confidential electronic documents and allow the owner of a document to monitor who has access to it, who opened it and when. “I wish you were around before WikiLeaks,” quipped Jacobson.

Elizabeth May’s teddy bear

As Green Leader Elizabeth May recovers from her second hip surgery, her doctors have told her to avoid using bags that sling over one shoulder, so May has taken to using a backpack: a teddy bear one that her daughter, Victoria Kate, now in university, used when she was eight.

Mo-jority government

Many MPs have started growing a moustache for Movember, the prostate awareness campaign that launched this month. Liberal MP Scott Simms plans to grow a handlebar moustache to look like Harry Shearer in This is Spinal Tap or, he says, “any male from the year 1974.” When interim Liberal leader Bob Rae entered a caucus meeting sporting a fake white moustache, Simms quipped, “You look like the the guy from Monopoly.” Several MPs, such as the NDP’s Peter Stoffer and Conservative Larry Miller, shaved off their moustaches to start afresh. Miller said he didn’t tell his wife he was doing it and the next time he would see her would be when he got home to his riding at 1 a.m. “She’s going to think there is a stranger in the bed when I kiss her on the cheek,” he joked. The Liberal Movember team is going by the name Libros and the NDP are De-Mo-crats. Liberal MP Justin Trudeau suggested the Tories be “Strong, Stable Mo-jority Government.”

I rarely have trouble distinguishing seriousness from mirth when it comes to a piece of writing, but I had to read this post by Alex Manley more than once. Despite multiple, brow-furrowing reads, I’m still hesitant to say I think the Concordia student journalist is being genuine. But, no he can’t be! Surely he just forgot to write “PSYCH!” at the end.

If only. In his column entitled “No to Movember,” Manley lambastes all you dirty bigots who donated your money and mustaches to prostate cancer. The Movember campaign to which he refers sees men from all over the world grow their mustaches during the month of November to raise money for prostate cancer research.

Now, I can understand a critique of the fundraiser in form, especially since some fervent mustache-growers tend to lose sight of the greater focus. But it seems that greater focus is precisely what Manley takes issue with in his editorial.

“If Movember was to raise money for people in third-world countries,” he begins, “for illiterate people, or homeless people, or for anything but what it is—which is privileged guys pretending they have it as hard as people with real problems—then it might come close to approaching something vaguely resembling worthwhile.”

Manley thus concludes that not only are these cancer-stricken men irrefutably privileged, but they also know nothing of what it means to have a “real” problem. Hear that, black single-income family provider recovering from surgery? You know nothing of what it means to struggle. Now go back to your liquid diet, because Manley has more to say:

“The whole thing is just a really well-disguised tantrum that guys are content to throw to make it seem like prostate cancer research is as important as research towards curing women’s cancers.”

Can we take it from the Manley doctrine that women’s cancers should indeed be cured first? Obviously, no one is paying attention to breast cancer. Unless, uh, we look at the numbers. According to financial documents available on the Canada Revenue Agency website, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Canada saw a 2010 total revenue of $14.7 million, compared to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, which saw over $47 million in total revenue. Pft…Numbers…

Onward, Manley makes the gracious concession that he doesn’t think anyone should die, then tells us bleeding hearts to stop our prostate-cancer whining: “Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that, as far as cancers go, prostate cancer is not much of a cancer. It’s slow acting, and it has relatively low death rates. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are more likely to die from something else than they are from prostate cancer.”

I suppose it never occurred to Manley that the fundraising he so laments paid for research toward advanced treatment techniques, improved screening, and garnered greater early detection awareness. It’s because of fundraising that prostate cancer survival rates have steadily increased since the late 1990s.

The comparatively low death rate is true. But prostate cancer is still the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men, and these men (and their families) still have to suffer through emotional and physical trials of radiation therapies and surgeries. If death is the marker of “worthy” charity, according to Manley, why make mention illiteracy, homelessness, or vaccination, as he has?

Manley continues by declaring that “prostate cancer is a first-world problem,” failing to consider that while prostate cancer may be disproportionately diagnosed in North American men, the actual numbers of those afflicted worldwide are unlikely to be represented in general statistics.

Then, he moves to economics—also not his strong suit. “Men, by and large, are doing okay for themselves. They’re still out-earning women by significant amounts. Cancer doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it affects the whole of a person’s life. Disease aside, the richer a person is, the better their [sic] chances are, especially in countries where your cash inflow influences the quality of your care.”

Uh… Steve Jobs, anyone? Jack Layton?

“Men—or any privileged group—will have an inherent advantage when it comes to beating cancer and landing on their feet than more disadvantaged people.”

On the topic of privilege, the Carleton University Students’ Association made a similar misguided determination back in 2008 when it cancelled its Shinerama fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis based on the incorrect suggestion that the disease “only affect white people, and primarily men.”

Prostate cancer clearly affects men rather than women, but it also affects black men more frequently than it does any other ethnicity. Black men, in fact, are more than twice as likely to die from the disease, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Is Manley suggesting that we should stop wasting our time on a “not so bad” cancer that affects privileged black men?

Manley concludes with a simple statement: “Prostate cancer is a hallmark of privilege. Deal with it.”

Well, sir; you’ve convinced me. Instead of donating my money to prostate cancer research this November, I plan to offer a hefty sum to whatever clearly starving humanities department at Concordia University you came from. Based on logic like that, by God, they need the money.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/apparently-men-with-prostate-cancer-are-privileged/feed/68Man enough to laugh at cancerhttp://www.macleans.ca/culture/man-enough-to-laugh-at-cancer/
http://www.macleans.ca/culture/man-enough-to-laugh-at-cancer/#commentsThu, 20 Jan 2011 14:40:48 +0000Kate Lunauhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=166873Inspired by 'Movember,' a number of other fundraisers aimed at men take a less serious approach

A couple of months ago, men were sprouting moustaches for “Movember,” a month-long campaign that raised over $21 million—nearly triple last year’s total—for Prostate Cancer Canada. (Liberal Mark Holland, who tried but failed to grow a handlebar, was one of more than 80 MPs who donated the space above their upper lip through November.) Partly inspired by Movember’s success, the Canadian Testicular Cancer Association (TCTCA) has claimed a month of its own. During January, or rather MANuary, the TCTCA aims to teach men “how to have the balls” to talk about testicular cancer.

The first-ever MANuary doesn’t encourage anyone to grow more hair—quite the opposite, in fact. In one MANuary fundraising event ripped straight from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, “volunteers will get their backs waxed on stage,” says actor-comedian Peter Laneas, a testicular cancer survivor and spokesperson for the TCTCA. “Nothing brings people together better than public humiliation,” he jokes.

Cheeky marketing has more commonly been used by breast cancer groups: foundations like Feel Your Boobies and Save the ta-tas grab attention—and fundraising dollars—with fun, sexy messaging. Now humour is doing the same for cancers that typically affect men. Prostate cancer is as prevalent as breast cancer, says Adam Garone, CEO and co-founder of the Movember Foundation, “but guys don’t like talking about their health, especially below the waist.” The first Movember campaign was held in Australia in 2004; in 2010, close to half a million people took part globally. “When we survey the guys on why they participate,” says Garone, “the number one reason is because it’s fun.”

Mark Daku, who’s working toward a Ph.D. in political science at McGill University, thought Movember was a “cool idea,” so in 2009, he started something similar—”Decemburns,” which encourages men to grow sideburns to raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and its impact on women. In its first year, with fewer than 10 participants, Daku’s effort raised more than $4,000, and “we’re on par to do better” in 2010. (Perhaps feeling left out, bloggers at Feministing launched “Decembrow,” encouraging women to grow a unibrow for charity.)

These campaigns have earned plenty of press, but humour can occasionally backfire. Critics argue that they make light of conditions and diseases that, in all too many cases, are deadly serious. Laneas admits that hitting the right note can be tricky. “You have to gauge the audience,” he says.

But if humour helps more young men feel comfortable talking about testicular cancer—the most common form of cancer among men between the ages of 15 and 29—it’s worth it, he says. Testicular cancer has a 97 per cent cure rate, and detection is crucial, but too many men avoid having potential symptoms checked out: after all, the thought of losing a testicle to cancer can be terrifying. “Testicles are a representation of manhood,” Laneas says. “When I talk to young men, the most common question I get asked is, ‘How am I going to get a girlfriend?’ It’s important to take away that taboo.”

Had a few? This MP will drive you home
As the House wound down for the holidays, Bloc MP Meili Faille could be seen sporting a pin of a reindeer with an oversized red nose, to promote Quebec’s Opération Nez Rouge drive-home service. During the holidays, people who become too intoxicated to drive can call the service, which sends a volunteer to collect the tipsy person and another volunteer to drive the partier’s car home. One of those volunteer drivers is Faille, who has given a few days of her time to the cause for several years now. These days, she drives a Dodge Grand Caravan, so she can convey up to five revellers at a time.

Iggy plummets in the puppet polls
Ottawa-based textile artist Gabe Thirlwall is known for her handmade finger puppets of prominent MPs. Recently, she has expanded her collection, adding puppets of some less conspicuous politicians. There’s a Megan Leslie puppet, for instance, and the NDP MP for Halifax even received a free one. Thirlwall says she has a strict policy on freebies: only if a politician is “not a douche” does he or she qualify. (The fact that Leslie recently gave Thirlwall a lift to a mutual friend’s wedding no doubt counted in her favour.) The artist has also introduced historical figures like Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, Sir John A. Macdonald, and Tommy Douglas, “but they don’t get a free one because they are old or dead.” At the recent One of a Kind craft show in Toronto, an 11-day affair, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff bombed, sales-wise. Even the Stéphane Dion puppet sold better. Stephen Harper and Jack Layton sales were so brisk that Thirlwall had to make more puppets every night. Now she says she needs to create a Tony Clement puppet because people have been demanding one, and telling her they follow the industry minister on Twitter. The puppets are available at www.fishonfridays.ca.

What Layton feared most about Rob Ford
NDP Leader Jack Layton attended Toronto’s inaugural city council meeting this month to see his son in action. Mike Layton was elected as a new city councillor in the last election, which also swept conservative Rob Ford into the mayor’s office. Ford’s friend, hockey commentator Don Cherry, noted at the council meeting with typical reserve that Ford’s “going to be the greatest mayor this city has ever seen, as far as I’m concerned, and put that in your pipe, you left-wing kooks.” Layton senior used to sit with Ford back in the day when both were Toronto city councillors, and even managed to get him onside for a few initiatives. Layton’s secret? Talking football, which led to a bond of sorts. But one thing about his seatmate still scared Jack Layton. When Ford spoke, he often gesticulated wildly, and it was necessary to be on guard to avoid accidental hits.

How WikiLeaks helped Irwin Cotler
For some time now, Montreal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler has been pushing his colleagues to accept a proposal to help contain Iran using “legal remedies.” Cotler felt the proposal, which tackles human-rights abuses, terrorism and nuclear threats, would be a tough sell. But then, courtesy of WikiLeaks, the world learned what many Arab countries are really thinking about Iran: bombs away! Cotler said his proposal all of a sudden looked “modest” and was passed unanimously by the foreign affairs committee.

Candid camera holiday greetingsJustin Trudeau shaved off his Movember moustache for prostate cancer awareness, but it lives on in his MP holiday video. However, you won’t see Trudeau’s blooper: he wished viewers a happy holiday on behalf of himself and his “stache.” He meant to say “staff,” and did so in the retake.

And then there were two . . .
Former Tory cabinet minister Jim Prentice was back on the Hill for an official farewell party recently. His wife, Karen Prentice, joked that this was the first time her husband had been unemployed. Actually, Prentice—once touted as a potential successor to Stephen Harper—resigned from cabinet in November and will start his new job as a vice-chairman at CIBC in January. Tory MPs say there are now two folks giving speeches around the country hoping to demonstrate they are leadership material: Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Maxime Bernier. Over the holidays, though, Bernier plans to take a break in his riding, and for Christmas will enjoy a family tradition with his kids—an old-fashioned sleigh ride. An avid skier, he will also likely be spotted on the slopes of Mont Tremblant.

Ignatieff on his eyebrows
A fire alarm during question period had MPs rushing out of the Commons. Conservative MP James Lunney helped a very pregnant former Conservative-now-Independent MP Helena Guergis (due date: Dec. 15) down the stairs and out of the building as they talked about contractions. Lunney is a chiropractor trained to deliver babies. Once outside, MPs kept dry from the rain under the wood shelters attached to the building (thank goodness for smokers, one MP joked). Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay took the opportunity to thank her leader, Michael Ignatieff, for not growing a moustache as part of the Movember prostate cancer awareness campaign. “I thought you were growing your eyebrows,” Scott Brison piped in. Ignatieff laughed and joked, “No. I shave those every day.”

Jann Arden’s ‘apology’
Celebrities and politicians packed the Hope Live gala, a charity that provides cancer patients with fertility preservation information and support services. Performer Jann Arden apologized to Jean Chrétien, joking that the former PM’s people had gotten to her too late with their request and that she would not be able to sing Dust in the Wind. Host Rick Mercer went after Justin Trudeau’s Movember moustache. “It’s too gay,” joked Mercer, pointing out that he and MP Scott Brison, who are both gay, did not grow mustaches because, well, “it’s too gay.” One of the special guests of the evening was Canada AM’s Seamus O’Regan, who told the crowd he was away on holidays when Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams announced he was going to resign. O’Regan, a Newfoundland icon, said he has a policy of turning off his BlackBerry while vacationing. When he reactivated it, he had an avalanche of messages. Wading through them, he discovered he had been declared the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland & Labrador, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, and finally premier. Hope Live raised over $130,000.

Foote in mouth
During question period, Liberal MP Judy Foote attacked Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on his record as Ontario finance minister. Flaherty rebutted that the truth behind the disaster in Ontario was that the “Liberal federal government decided that it would balance its budget on the backs of the provinces.” Still reading from her script, Foote heedlessly started her supplementary question with “the truth hurts,” causing all the Conservatives to rise and applaud. Office of the Leader of the Opposition officials said they need to work on MPs being able to think on their feet and not just read scripted questions to avoid such painfully embarrassing moments.

I ‘moustache’ the minister . . .
In honour of the last day of the Movember prostate cancer awareness campaign, NDP MP Peter Stoffer asked Transport Minister Chuck Strahl a question with a twist: “I ‘moustache’ the minister of transport the following question on the Northumberland ferry.” Strahl replied with: “Mr. Speaker, I think I ‘Movember’ the answer but I better ‘goatee’ my written response.” Many were impressed with the minister’s quick-witted reply. It turned out he had been given advance notice. One Tory staffer said that Stoffer had called Strahl’s office to let him know about the question so that he could be ready. The staffer noted it is not uncommon for some NDP MPs to submit their questions in advance because “they actually care about the answers.”

Who didn’t wear an AIDS ribbon
World AIDS Day saw MPs from all parties sporting red ribbons during question period. All the party leaders wore them with the exception of Stephen Harper. Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and House leader John Baird, who sit on either side of the PM, both wore ribbons.

Justin Trudeau’s $1,600 lunch
The fourth annual What a Girl Wants fundraiser for the Canadian Liver Foundation featured local firefighters peeling off their uniforms, and a performance by drag queen Dixie Landers, who lip-synched to Bette Midler’s cover of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. The performer wore bright pink stilettos and received a compliment from none other than Laureen Harper, who told Ms. Landers, “I love your shoes.” Hollywood glamour was the dinner’s theme, and each table in the Fairmont Château Laurier ballroom was named after a silver screen icon. Mrs. Harper sat at the Marilyn Monroe table along with Justin Trudeau and one of the evening’s organizers, Annette Martin of the Canadian Liver Foundation (and wife of National Post columnist Don Martin). One table over sat Liberal MP Hedy Fry, sporting a Marilyn Monroe purse and matching shoes. Labour Minister Lisa Raitt showed off a small pink glittery purse she picked up at Wal-Mart for $5. Among the items auctioned off that night: lunch with Trudeau. When Capital Diary asked Mrs. Harper if she planned to bid, she quipped, “I just had dinner with him.” The Liberal MP fretted, tongue-in-cheek, that his new moustache—grown to support the Movember prostate cancer awareness campaign—might have a negative impact on bidding. So Trudeau took to the catwalk, loosening his tie, which raised appreciative cheers—and $1,600 for the charity. Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan bid $500 and won a Sex in the City jewellery cuff worn by Kim Cattrall’s character Samantha Jones. Duncan plans to donate the piece to another liver charity in honour of a Grade 9 student she mentored in her senior year of high school. They formed a close bond, but the younger student subsequently died of liver disease.

What worries Peter MacKay’s date
The National Arts Centre hosted Ottawa’s Gold Medal Plates dinner to raise funds for the Canadian Olympic Foundation. Decorated Olympians in attendance included Alexandre Bilodeau. Once again, Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s date for a high-profile function was former Miss World Canada and women’s rights advocate Nazanin Afshin-Jam. They have been seeing each other for seven months now, says one Tory MP. Afshin-Jam, who lives in Vancouver, is working on a book about her life and the life of Nazanin Fatehi, an Iranian woman sentenced to death after stabbing one of the men who attempted to rape her. Afshin-Jam took up Fatehi’s cause several years ago, and Fatehi was eventually released. The two Nazanins stayed in touch but have never met face to face; Fatehi is illiterate, so they’ve relied on phone calls. But in the last seven months they have lost contact, and Afshin-Jam fears the worst. The international spotlight is no longer on the case, and the family of the rapist, says Afshin-Jam, had sworn revenge.

Why Harper can’t grow a moustache
Justin Trudeau isn’t the only MP flaunting facial hair for Movember. The NDP presented their own Pat Martin the Chia Pet award for best moustache so far. Another NDP MP, Peter Stoffer, has gone one step further and now has a full beard. Liberal MP Scott Simms has a handlebar moustache. Some female MPs on the Hill are not exactly impressed with their colleagues’ new look. “Some of them look like villains and porn stars,” quipped one Liberal. Others joked about donating to charity only if Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc agrees to shave his moustache off early, because he now bears a striking resemblance to adult film legend Ron Jeremy. Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae has the sparsest growth on his upper lip but that is because, he says, he started a week late; he was in the Middle East, where he wanted to be clean-shaven. Don’t expect Stephen Harper ever to have a moustache, by the way. Laureen Harper made it clear she couldn’t abide one on her husband.

Scott Brison’s lonely night
Two of Glen Pearson’s adopted children arrived from Sudan three years ago, knowing nothing about Halloween. After explaining the concept, the Liberal MP woke up on his kids’ first Halloween in Canada to find them in costume, all set to trick or treat. When he broke the news that they’d have to wait until dark, “They both burst into tears because they thought they got to go out all day to people’s houses and get candy.” They felt better that night, once they had sacks of treats. “It was something they never dreamed of as possible,” says the MP. Now, Pearson’s Halloween tradition is to stay home handing out treats while his kids hit the streets. Newfoundland Liberal MP Siobhan Coady has fine-tuned her Halloween handouts. “My sister is allergic to nuts so I always make sure I have a nut-free option. I also give out chips, chocolate, and Play-Doh. It’s a little surprise.” Minister for International Co-operation Bev Oda, when at home for Halloween, knows all six kids who come to her door in the sparsely populated area. Her tradition is to give them presents, including MP3 players and video games. Halloween is a lonely time for Liberal MP Scott Brison and spouse Maxime Saint-Pierre. “There are three houses on our road,” he says. “We own two, and the other belongs to my 90-year-old aunt Margie [Faulkner].” They keep candy on hand just in case, but no one ever knocks. “It kinda reminds me of my fifth birthday party,” says Brison. “My mother had this great party. Nobody showed.”

The Chia Pet MP
For Movember, the prostate cancer awareness campaign in November during which men grow moustaches, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau has assembled a team of MPs dubbed Mombers of Parliament. Trudeau had a ’stache when he starred in Brian McKenna’s The Great War, and says that in the past, he’s sported a moustache for Halloween, “to be Zorro, computer nerd.” But Trudeau admits that this month, “I’m going to have grey in my moustache, there is no question.” Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc worries about growth. “I’ve never had a beard, sideburns, or moustache, so I just hope at the end I will have something to show for it.” What colour will his ’stache be? “I’m a really young man,” he jokes, adding, “I am quite confident that if my moustache isn’t as dark as my hair, there are products that can help.” Colour has Frank Valeriote “concerned.” The Liberal MP first grew a moustache at about 16, to look older. He got rid of it at 35 “because I was told it was making me look old.” Liberal MP Glen Pearson is also going for the ’stache. “I can just grow hair on the top of my head,” he jokes, “and I’ll look a bit like Jack Layton. A lot of us feel solidarity for Jack.” The NDP leader is currently battling prostate cancer, but has no plans to shave off his moustache and start over, because, Layton says, his party would have to make new posters. NDP MP Peter Stoffer did shave off his existing moustache for Movember, because “everyone says it’s not fair I have one to start.” He claims it will be back in less than two weeks: “I’m like a Chia Pet. Just throw water on there and it grows back pretty fast.” Stoffer has had a ’stache since he was 16. He removed it only one other time, in 1999 when his daughter said she’d never seen him clean-shaven.

But were they really clapping for Rob Ford?
In question period last week, Jim Flaherty was tossed a softball: “How effective has Canada’s economic action plan been?” The finance minister talked of job creation and then, just as Conservatives were rising to applaud their handling of the recession, threw in, “May I applaud the new mayor of the great city of Toronto, Rob Ford.” Flaherty was one of very few MPs to support Ford, pre-election. One Tory MP noted it was a very smooth move, seeming to get an ovation for the mayor-elect from many who have kept their distance from Ford.